Works on the 28 megawatts hydro-electric power plant on River Nyabarongo in Mushishiro, Muhanga District, are in their final stages.The project, which started in late 2008, is expected to be ready by the end of January and commissioned in February next year, according to the Minister for Infrastructure, Prof. Silas Lwakabamba.“So far, there is a positive progress on this project and we expect it to be ready by next year despite some inconveniences,” he said on Wednesday after inspecting the progress of the construction works.According to the State Minister for Energy and Water, Emma Francoise Isumbingabo, the works would have been completed by the end of this year. But due to logistical shortages, it had slowed down since construction materials are imported from India and transported on water which takes long to reach in Rwanda.“The supplies needed for the two turbines had delayed but, luckily, the materials for one are in place and we expect it to be complete soon. The power supply will kick off immediately after completion of the first one,” Isumbingabo said.The two turbines are to generate 14 mega watts each.The project, jointly funded by the Government of Rwanda and India, is to cost nearly $100 million, of which the Rwandan government will contribute $20 million (about Rwf13 billion).According to the plant chief engineer, Jean Bosco Mugabo, the power plant will require a maintenance team of about 26 people after its completion. There are eight who are on training so far in Egypt for maintenance of micro-hydro.“We need to train some people to run this plant after its completion, there are eight so far who are undergoing training but we need more eighteen,” Mugabo said.The government has set its sight on 563 megawatts of electricity by 2017, to help reduce the country’s electricity deficit. Power will be mainly generated from a mix of hydro, peat, methane, geothermal and solar. Presently, only 17 per cent of the population in the country has access to stable electricity.
